Outlook: Although the Eagles graduated two standouts in Katalena Laufasa-Duncan and Heather Shaver, Broomfield should be in position to make another run at a top-five spot at the Class 4A state meet. Wingfield and Elizabeth Peterson teamed with that pair to help set a 4A record in the medley relay, and Elizabeth Peterson will be a title contender in each of her two individual events. Austin believes a strong freshman class will help offset the loss of last year's seniors.

Outlook: After years of an unsettled coaching situation, Wiles is hoping to establish some consistency in her first year at the helm. Lombardi and Hartojo are among a wide group of Lightning swimmers who should display marked improvement in individual events. In relays, Legacy finished 16th at state in the medley relay and narrowly missed reaching the consolation finals in the freestyle relays. The Lightning should be in position to make that jump this year.

THORNTON -- Fiona Dretzka does not claim to remember exactly why she has fallen short of her personal expectations at each of the past two state finals. She just knows both meets were disappointing, and she vows this year will be much, much different.

Dretzka, a junior on the Legacy girls swim team, is just one of a solid handful of returning Lightning swimmers setting similar goals this season under first-year head coach Diana Wiles. After a series of coaching upheavals over the past few years, Wiles, an assistant last year, will rely on that group of highly motivated returnees like Dretzka as the Legacy program attempts to take a significant step forward this season.

"I've watched this program for a while, and it's a unique opportunity," Wiles said. "This team has a lot of club swimmers. My goal this year is to have more of a team spirit, and that's pretty much my bottom line. It's a large team, but it's going well. It's about getting those club swimmers to understand that high school is different from club, but still very valuable."

Dretzka has qualified for the Class 5A state finals the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle in each of her first two seasons and hopes to continue the upward trend she has established, regardless of her personal disappointment in her track record at state.

Two seasons ago as a freshman, Dretzka finished last among all qualifiers in the preliminary heats of the individual medley and was spared that same fate in the 500 freestyle only by a disqualification for another swimmer. She improved markedly last year, taking 6.62 seconds off her previous state final time in the individual medley, while also shaving more than 11 seconds off her final time in the 500 free.

"I'm definitely looking to go a lot faster and drop a lot of time," Dretzka said. "I haven't performed as well as I'd hoped at the last two states. I'm hoping to make finals and swim a lot faster in the past. I honestly can't even remember what the problems were. ... I'll have to change some things up to get faster."

Dretzka and sophomore Elysia Hartojo each were part of a Legacy medley relay team that reached the consolation finals at the state meet, ultimately finishing 16th, and Wiles hopes the Lightning's improved depth can lead to similar results this season in the two freestyle relay events.

Legacy also returns sophomore Mary Lombardi and senior Rachel Wood, both of whom were part of Legacy's state-qualifying 200 freestyle relay team, and Lombardi also competed at state in the individual medley and the 500 freestyle.

"This year I'm really looking to drop in my 500, because that was my event last year," Lombardi said. "I'm trying to make it back to finals at state this year. That's my main goal for the season, but I'm also looking to drop in the other events as well."

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